Today, we
begin the beautiful cycle of services from the Lenten Triodion. The word “triodion” means “three songs,” but
really there are many odes in this book—all of them are offered for our
spiritual benefit. The Holy Church is
preparing us for Great Lent. Like any
journey that is to be successful, the journey of Lent must be undertaken with
proper resolve, commitment, and preparation.
And this is why we do not just begin Lent one day, but take time to
prepare for it; not merely waiting, but actively preparing our hearts, minds,
and bodies for this journey to Pascha.
During
these weeks before Lent begins, the Church, our loving Mother, offers us the
treasures of the Gospel readings about the Pharisee and the tax collector, the
parable of the prodigal son, and about Christ’s glorious second coming. It is easy to see that these passages are
connected to each other and that together they carry the message of
humility. In the story about the
Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:14), we learn about the humility of the
latter as the condition that allows him accept God’s grace that washes away his
sins and renews within him a right spirit (Ps. 51:10). Only humility allows us to see our true state
on our knees at the pig trough of sin, as did the prodigal son, and makes us
come to our senses (Luke 15:17) and run to the Father’s house (Luke
15:18). Our choice to leave our sinful
ways and to return home puts us in the Father’s embrace (Luke 15:20), and
allows us once again to become His children.
Finally, the Gospel reading on Forgiveness Sunday (Matt. 25:31-33)
reminds us of the true meaning of humility: those who have learnt from Christ
(Matt. 11:29) do not see themselves worthy of any reward (Matt. 25:37-39),
Christ’s love lives in their hearts and shines forth through their acts.
But let
us listen carefully; let us ponder: the very first lesson we are to learn on
our path to Great Lent, the very first example that the Church offers us before
the beginning of the fast, is not that of Saint Mary of Egypt, who exercised
prayer and fasting in the wilderness, or that of Saint Anthony the Great, who
is known for his severe asceticism, or that of Saint Seraphim of Sarov, who
fasted and prayed for one thousand days and nights. Rather, we are offered the example of a tax
collector, a publican, who probably did not fast at all, at least not as much
as did the Pharisee, but who “went down to his house justified” before God
(Luke 18:14). What a strange thing: we
are preparing for Lent, but all next week we do not fast at all, not even on
Wednesday and Friday! This is not in
order to fatten up before the fast, as some may think, but in order to set our
minds and hearts straight, to help us understand the most important thing about
fasting: a fast is not a diet; it is a medicine to cure an illness quite
different from excess weight. Without
the publican’s humility, without his realization that we are not even worthy to
“raise our eyes to heaven” (Luke 18:13), without the words “God, be merciful to
me, a sinner!” (Luke 18:13) becoming not just the publican’s prayer, but our
prayer, our fast will be worthless and even dangerous, as our pride leads us to
assume the Pharisee’s foolish stance: “I thank you, God, that I am not like
other men…” (Luke 18:11)
Let us
then “flee the vaunting of the Pharisee and learn the humility of the Publican,”
let us remember this lesson as we enter into Great Lent in just a few
weeks. As we prepare to fast, the first
thing we must learn is that limitations in foods are not the ultimate goal, but
a tool to help us take control over our passions. “Foods for the stomach and the stomach for
foods, but God will destroy both it and them” (1 Cor. 6:13). The true goal of fasting is to learn
humility.
Let us
not boast to ourselves about the lack of oil in our potatoes—we equally lack
the oil of forgiveness of people around us; or about the small size of our
meals—our pride flows from us as if from the Horn of Plenty. The goal of fasting is humility and a clearer
vision of our true fallen state. Until
we come to our senses and realize that we are on our knees at the trough of our
sins and passion, we will not want to get up and run back to the Father’s
house.
“He who
exalts himself shall be humbled. Let us humble ourselves before God, and with
fasting cry aloud as the Publican: ‘God, be merciful to us sinners.’”
By Fr. Sergei Sveshnikov
Source: https://frsergei.wordpress.com/2010/01/30/god-be-merciful-to-us-sinners/
CONVERSATION